Toe protector



Oct. 20, 1953 K W 2,655,917

TOE PROTECTOR Filed July 1?, 1951 FIGI. 10

.J 4 1 L35 L15 INVENTOR. V L ISADORE K/WAD FIGS. v W

A TTOQIVEX 't E Patented Oct. 20, 1953 i i i g I i TOE PROTECTOR Isadore Kiwad, Westwood, N. J.

Application July 1'7, 1951, Serial No. 237,119

' (o1. 12s 15s) 2 Claims. 1 This invention is directed toward an improved construction for toe protector devices adapted to be worn upon the feet to protect the toes, it, being one of the principal objects of my invenent invention the applicant has greatly simplified the construction thereof and the manner of its efiective use.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and tion to provide a toe protector device of the 5 more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5 thereof, class described which shall represent a modi- I provide a blank II] consisting of a strip of suitfied and improved form of construction over able soft material such as, for example, felt, that disclosed and claimed in my copending apcotton, rayon, wool, plastic, fabric and the like plication Serial No. 65,250 new Patent No. of suitable thickness, which, as noted, is rec- 2,593,76'7, filed December 14, 1948 for Toe Protangular in shape. I have found that satisfactector. tory results are obtained when the thickness of Another object of my invention is to provide a the material lies within the range of from aptoe protector device of the class described which proximately 1% of an inch to approximately shall be characterized by the simplicity of its of an inch. The blank I0 is providedv with a seconstruction and the relatively inexpensive cost ries of four substantially lengthwise intermitof manufacture,.as well asv the ease and facility tent slitted portions II, I2, I3 and I4, starting with which the user thereof may effectively apfrom one end Ilia of said blank I0 and disposed ply the device whereby it acts as an insulator bebetween the top and bottom edges I02) and I00 tween the toes. respectively of the said blank I0. There is thus Other objects and advantages of the invention provided a corresponding series of unslitted porwill become apparent from the description to tions Ila, I2a, I300 and Met in the blank I0. follow or will hereinafter be more particularly There is also provided at the front end of each pointed out. slit I2, I3 and I4, (counting the edge Illa as the In the accompanying drawing, front end of the blank forthe purpose of clari- Fig. l is'a perspective view of a blank or strip 135 fication) a transverse slit I5 communicating of material from which the toe protector device with the said slits l2, I3 and I4. of my invention is formed; It is thus seen from the above description that Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof after the there is provided a longitudinal continuous base blank has been acted upon in accordance with portion I6 running the entire length of the blank my invention; no I0, and a series of movable finger or toe spacer Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the device shown members I1, I8, I9 and 20. It is further noted in Fig. 2 but illustrating the position of certain that, as above described, I have produced a toe portions thereof after they have been manually protector device in which there is no waste mamoved to efiective position; terial, since the entire blank I0 is fully utilized Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the underside for eifective use as will soon be described. This of a foot showing my toe protector as shown in makes for relatively low expense of manufac- Fig. 3, effectively positioned on the foot; ture. It is noted that the blank I0 and the slits Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the foot shown II to I4 as Well as the slits I5 may be provided in Fig. 4, but as viewed from above, looking n a single cutting die operation from a condown on the toes; 40 tinuous strip of material to further lessen the Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a processed cost of mallufacturfi blank similar to the Fig. 2 form, but showing a To efieetlvely use the tee ec or of the modified construction th e f; present invention the spacer members I'I, I8, I9 Fig 7 is a View Similar to Fig 2, but f the and 20 are first manually raised from their modified form of invention shown in Fig. 6; and Orlglnat DOSltiOIl wn n Fig. 2 to the position Fig 815 a top edge plan iew of the Figs 6 and in 3 after the base portion 7 form of invention and Showing t positioning is positioned on the underside Of the fOOl in the of certain portions thereof for efiective use hOlIOW area. between the Of the foot and. the AS noted in my Said copendmg application toes with the base portionadjacent the forward Serial No. 65,250 now Patent No. 2,593,767, my end We s at t base of the big toe T and invention is concerned with providing relief in the Space! Forums w en adjacent toes. foot ailments as well as a means for minimizing Thus, for ple, the spacer I1 is interposed the danger of infection by spacing apart the between the big toe T and then 110 t Spacer adjacent surfaces of the toes of the foot and in- I8 is disposed between the toes A and B; th troducing a butler therebetween. In the presspacer I9 is disposed between the toes B and C;

and the spacer 20 is disposed between the toes C and D.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which there is provided a rectangular blank 30 similar in form and function to that of the blank H] except that it is relatively wider. As in the case of the blank [0, I provide a series of longitudinal slits 3|, 32, 33 and 34 and connectin transverse slits 35, similar in function and purpose to the slits H through l of the Figs. 1 to 5 form of my invention. It is noted that there are a series of unslitted portions 3 I a, 32a, 33a and 34a, providing spacer members 31, 38, 39 and 49 and a common base portion 4|. In this form of my invention to prepare the toe protector for effective use,

instead of manually raising the spacer m'embers 31 to 40 as previously explained in connection with the spacer members II to 14, they may be rotated from their original position shown in Fig. t to the position substantially at right angles to the plane of the-base M- as best seen'in' Fig. 8. The spacers 31 to 40 may thenbe placed between the toes and the base member 4| disposed as shown in Fig. 4.

I have found that satisfactory results are obtained when the slits H, [2,13, and I4 of'the Figs. 1" through 5 form 'of my invention are disposedapproximatelymidway between the longitudinal edges of the blanklfi. In the Figs. 6 to 3 form of my invention,-satisiact0ry results are obtained when the slits 3|, 32; 33 and 34 are disposed-at a point approximately one third of the distance between the longitudinal edges of the blank 30.

Although I have described" my invention in specific terms, it will be understood that variagtions may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention'as claimed. I claim:

1; As a new article of manufacture; a toe protector formed from a normally fiat strip of rela- 1 bers .for the purposes set forth.

tively soft and resilient material having top and I bottom'longitudinal edges, and first and second .to the distance between the top and bottom 'fa'ces of the toes of said user, to direct munication with said longitudinal slitted .15

end edges, a plurality of longitudinal slittec tions in said strip of a pre-determined l substantially equal to the distance betwee pormat ime toes of a user, disposed between said topting/1;

spaced from said second end edge, a pluralitly; of transverse slitted portions in said strip, stark ing from said top longitudinaledge 'andiextent ing downwardly a distance'substantially aort tions .to form a longitudinal base portion and a.

plur'alityof manually movable toe space niem 2. As a new article of manufacture, a toe tector formed from a strip of felt havin top and bottom longitudinal edges, and first and second" end'ed'ges, a pluralityiof longitudinal. slitted bottom longitudinal :edges, star-ting from .said

pro

pOrtions-An saidstrip fof a .pre-determined length].

tno

and

first'end edge'and intermittently spaced; along the-length'of'said strip; terminating at a spaced from'said-secoild end edge, a plurali1 transverse slitted portions in' sai'd strip stal References Cited the .file or: this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS v .7 Date 7 Number Name 7 887,789 Greeneadm n May 19,1908

. 2,539,115 :-=B'rachman June 23, 1951 ting I from said top lon'gitud'inaliedge and; extending downwardly a distance substantially equal to the dint. 

